How-to

1,982 'How-to' stories September 2011 - July 2018

A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from the 9to5Mac team helping you fix and get the most out of your favorite gear.

iPhone: How to toggle Call waiting

Peter Cao Jul 23 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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One of the great benefits of modern cell phones and carriers is that you’re able to put calls on hold while you’re on a phone call. While you could easily create a 3-way call, that’s not always convenient nor appropriate for the case. That’s where Call waiting comes in, a feature that lets you have two separate calls and lets you interact with an incoming call. Disabling the feature will force all incoming calls to go to voicemail if you’re currently in a call.

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Mac
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Mac: How to lock screen

Michael Potuck Jul 23 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you’re new to Mac or just haven’t had a need to set up password protection in macOS before, follow along for how to customize and lock your screen.

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iPhone: How to hide Caller ID

Peter Cao Jul 20 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Most users will dial *67 before calling any number in which they don’t want the receiving end to know the originating phone number to, it’s the oldest trick in the book. However, if you’re wanting to stay completely off the grid, there’s a way to do it to all calls, that way you never have to dial *67 ever again.

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Mac
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Mac: How to forget wireless networks

Michael Potuck Jul 20 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Over time, your Mac will likely build up a large amount of networks that it has connected to. Whether you want to do some general tidying up, or have a specific network you want to forget, follow along below.

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iOS
How-to

iPhone & iPad: How to enable data roaming

Peter Cao Jul 19 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Carriers are now offering ways to let customers use their phones while abroad without getting charged an absurd amount of money. While both iOS and Android still throw up huge warnings against doing so, it is possible to enable data roaming on your iPhone or iPad.

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iPhone: How to disable volume buttons from changing ringtones and text alerts

Michael Potuck Jul 19 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Do you find yourself accidentally changing your ringtone volume level with the physical buttons on your iPhone in your pocket, bag, or purse? Follow along for how to keep your ringtone volume fixed for calls, texts, and more.

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watchOS 5: How to force Walkie-Talkie to re-appear

Peter Cao Jul 18 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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One of the more bizarre things we’ve seen in the watchOS 5 betas is that some users (including myself) are experiencing the Walkie-Talkie app disappearing throughout the beta process.

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macOS

Mac: How to check for updates

Michael Potuck Jul 18 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you’re new to Mac or haven’t updated software in macOS in a while, follow along below for how to check for updates.

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macOS Mojave: How to use new screenshot and screencast tools without Grab

Michael Potuck Jul 17 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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With some similarities to last year’s screenshot updates that came with iOS 11, macOS Mojave offers up some handy new functionality and changes to taking screenshots. Follow along for what’s new and how to use the new features.

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How to fix stuck MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboard

Michael Potuck Jul 16 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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It can be a frustrating experience to have the butterfly keyboard become unresponsive due to dust and other seemingly tiny debris. While it’s great that Apple introduced a service program to fix affected keyboards for free, would you like to try to fix your stuck keys at home? Follow along below…

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How to add secondary destinations in Apple Maps while navigating

Peter Cao Jul 14 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple Maps is debatably the most popular navigation app on iOS due to it being the default application. One thing that tends to get thrown under the rug is secondary destinations. This feature lets you add pit stops such as gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc. to Apple Maps without ending your primary destination.

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How to turn True Tone on and off for macOS and iOS

Michael Potuck Jul 13 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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First launched with the iPad Pro back in 2016, Apple’s True Tone display technology has made its way to the latest iPhones, and most recently its 2018 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros. Follow along for how to turn this feature on and off.

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How to set 24-hour time on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch & Mac

Peter Cao Jul 12 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Those who live outside of the United States are typically accustomed to setting clocks to 24-hour time. However, that is not the default in the U.S.

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How to prepare your Mac for an upgrade to a new MacBook Pro

Michael Potuck Jul 12 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple today updated its MacBook Pro lineup, bringing Intel’s 8th generation processors, True Tone display, a third-generation butterfly keyboard and more to the 13- and 15-inch notebooks. If you’re going to be upgrading, follow along for how to get ready to switch to a new MacBook Pro.

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macOS: How to set a custom Siri keyboard shortcut

Peter Cao Jul 11 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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While many will argue that Siri on macOS needs a lot of work, it is still useful in some situations. In certain scenarios, you’ll want to use a keyboard shortcut to invoke Siri, especially since macOS is not capable of doing hands-free “Hey Siri” just yet.

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macOS

macOS: How to enable Dock Magnification

Peter Cao Jul 10 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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One fun toggle that some users like to enable is the ability to enable Magnification on the Dock inside macOS. While this certainly isn’t a new feature, users may still want to know how to enable it.

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Mac
How-to

Mac: How to set default web browser

Peter Cao Jul 9 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Safari is a popular browser choice for those who live in the Apple ecosystem. All your tabs sync across all devices, you can pick up where you left off on other devices with Hand Off, among other things.

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iPhone & iPad: How to make sure you don’t send email to the wrong addresses

Michael Potuck Jul 9 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Have you ever shot off an email and awaited a reply only to realize you didn’t enter the email address correctly? As it happens, iOS has a simple solution to help prevent that experience.

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iPhone & iPad: How to enable On/Off Labels

Peter Cao Jul 6 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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A small detail Apple changed in the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7 and beyond is On/Off Labels. In the old days, Apple enabled On/Off labels by default and now that’s no longer the case with iOS’ modern, more flat approach.

Follow along to learn how to turn them back on…

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iPhone & iPad: How to use guided access to limit use to one app

Michael Potuck Jul 6 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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iOS 12 is bringing new software called Screen Time to help users better understand and manage device use. But what about if you need to restrict an iPad or iPhone to just one app? Whether for your business, organization, or just your kids, follow along for how to use guided access.

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iOS 12: How to access Photos in the Messages app

Peter Cao Jul 5 2018 - 4:41 pm PT

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One of the more controversial changes in iOS 12 is how the photo library is managed in the Messages app. Previously, the photo picker was available when tapping the camera icon. However, with iOS 12, Apple has turned Photos into a full on Messages app and now sits in the App Store tab versus the camera tab.

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iOS 12: How to share photos and videos with expiring links on iPhone and iPad

Michael Potuck Jul 5 2018 - 2:45 pm PT

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iOS 12 offers the option to temporarily share photos and videos with an iCloud link. Follow along for how to make use of this handy new feature.

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How to update macOS in Mojave

Peter Cao Jul 3 2018 - 4:50 pm PT

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In macOS Mojave, Apple has moved the location for updating your Mac’s operating system. With the revamped App Store, Apple has moved updating macOS, among other system updates to a new location.

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iOS 12: How to use the animated Activity app stickers in Messages

Michael Potuck Jul 3 2018 - 2:49 pm PT

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Another fun addition in iOS 12 is a new set of animated Activity stickers in Messages. Follow along for how to use the new stickers on iPhone.

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